BHP's Escondida approaches striking union, eyes new offer

Chile's Escondida copper mine, the largest in the world, has invited its union to resume talks as a first step towards ending a month-long strike, it said Friday. The strike, which began February 9 and has lasted for 30 days, is the longest in Escondida's history. With stoppages also in place at other important copper mines worldwide, global copper prices have risen on tighter supply expectations.